Solar powered Flights

hms
By hms

Solar Impulse, a plane powered by the sun's rays, has begun a test flight that will see the aircraft powered through the night by energy collected from the sun. Solar Impulse, registration HB-SIA, took off from Switzerland shortly before 7 am local time. One of the team's ultimate aim is to prove that renewable energy can be used for safe, long-distance flights and hopes to make the first manned transatlantic solar flight in the next two years

By soniya• 9 Jul 2010 16:28
soniya

hms, i am too much scare of flight journeys that flies with normal FUEL..I dare not to go with this new invention...NO WAY..

By anonymous• 9 Jul 2010 16:26
anonymous

The a66hole strikes again. Mods.

By soniya• 9 Jul 2010 16:26
soniya

hjasdhwqyi , what u r posting MAN??? what are all these?? u r doing this it with almost every thread today..

By britexpat• 9 Jul 2010 06:51
britexpat

Manned flight ??

It will probably be a vertically challenged person crammed into a cockpit the size of a bicycle saddle.

Having said that - It is still a great achievement :O)

By imambudi• 9 Jul 2010 04:54
Rating: 4/5
imambudi

The battery of the plane is fully charge through 12.000 photovoltaic solar cell from daylight sun which is the usage of photovoltaic is common nowadays.

Powered by twin 20hp engine. By day, the aircraft's cells will generate a peak output 40 hp, part of which will recharge the 880 pounds of advanced lithium-ion batteries. The rest of the power will be fed to the twin brushless, sensorless DC motors, built for maximum efficiency by Etel of Switzerland (which also built the electric motors for the Huygens probe that landed on Saturn's moon Titan).

The plane doesn't have landing gear on the wing so it needs help from people to balance the wing at touch down.

see video when the plane took off

video for wing construction

&feature=related

By shapil• 8 Jul 2010 23:44
shapil

good job.

By anonymous• 8 Jul 2010 20:45
anonymous

Could be hard to understand for some of you, but don't worry. It was Einstein who got the Nobel Prize for his contribution on the 'Photoelectric effect.' Exactly what the plane is using.

By FlyingAce• 8 Jul 2010 16:30
FlyingAce

I just want to see at which speed does it fly at or above 25000 feet agl....

By gudone• 8 Jul 2010 16:29
gudone

hms u r choooochweeeeeet as tht cat...

By hms• 8 Jul 2010 16:25
hms

i will,

By gudone• 8 Jul 2010 16:24
gudone

hms buy me one ok!!!

By hms• 8 Jul 2010 16:18
hms

i dont have that many details,

By imambudi• 8 Jul 2010 16:15
imambudi

Are they using new technology for the aircraft body? advanced carbon fiber or something else?

how about the engine..is it propeller type like Hercules or turbo fan/jet type?

By hms• 8 Jul 2010 16:04
hms

will ensure the availability of stored solar energy before the flight, they cannot depend on the energy while flying.

By imambudi• 8 Jul 2010 16:02
imambudi

So the plane has to chase the sun for fueling?

how is the power management when there is cloud or storm or passing a region in night time?

very interesting

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